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FAQ

COURSES:

question How are the courses developed?
answer

AICI (Association of Image Consultants International) Continuing Education approval policies are rigorously followed during the development of all FII’s online study programs. Courses are developed to meet the industry standards and guidelines and are designed to meet AICI's core competencies for image consultant study and certification.

Additionally our courses are tested by certified instructors and submitted for board review with FII's stringent testing panels. These panels meet every six months to review each course, testing the learner outcomes stated in the original training planner.

Learning Management Course Design Standards for e-learning are used in the creation of all courses. This process is a 12 to 18 month endeavor. Graphic artists, eLearning developers, video producers and photographers are hired to organize and create the elements for the course. Image editors are recruited to create course imagery. Web administrators are enlisted to publish and monitor student activity.

COURSES:

question How are the courses offered?
answer

e-Course / On-line /Awarding CEU's (Continuing Education Units) - after purchasing a course you will receive an email with your link to the e-course. You will then be authorized to download the course materials. You are assigned a unique code to access your account so courses cannot be freely shared. You can study at home (or at any computer), in your own time and at your own pace. Students have up to 6 months from date of purchase to complete their course on-line. And, if you need additional help navigating the course work and you have webcam and internet access you can always reach us via SKYPE name:(gillianarmour)

e-Course / On-line /Non-Credit Certification Watch for NEW non-credit and credit courses in Bridal Styling, Fashion Coordination and Etiquette in 2012.

Optional
In Person – make arrangements to study at Fashion Image Institute Studio in San Francisco and get a hands-on group experience. If you want to attend courses in person please contact us at 1 (415)230-0015. Visit the link "Campus Courses" to choose from our Master Class series taught at our studio campus in San Francisco.

Do these courses offer Continuing Education Units (CEU's)?
answer

Yes, and all courses offered are in line with AICI's (The Association of Image Consultants) core competencies for image consultant study. Courses that are CEU'd will be indicated in the course description. Students will be required to complete all assignments, quizzes, essays, achieve learning outcomes and pass a final exam in order to earn their CEU. Campus courses that offer CEU's will also be noted in the description. Non-credit courses are indicated as such. These courses are lower priced because no Continuing Education Units are awarded (just Professional Certification).

All on-line courses offer Professional Certification from Fashion Image Institute and are considered Continuing Education and Personal Enrichment Courses for Adults The CEU's earned from each course can be applied to college credit (undergrad).

We are a proud member of I.A.C.E.T. and uphold the code of ethics for universal educational development.

Earning CEUs is not a requirement of general membership with AICI. However, if you are currently certified through AICI with FLC, CIP or CIM then you must earn CEUs to retain certification. Once students have completed a course they are required to follow this procedure:

Students will be required to complete the course, the final exam, submit the Partipant Evaluation Form and submit a testimonial in order to earn certification and CEUs. When you earn CEUs, AICI Headquarters is notified and your permanent record is updated. You may request a copy of your CEU record by contacting AICI Headquarters.

question Will this course help me certify for the AICI FLC exam?

answer Yes. Here's why -

We get this question a LOT and we recognize that students want a fast entry to First Level Certification (FLC) with AICI. We are an AICI certified educational provider. Our courses are based around the core competencies of image consulting. You can find the list of core competencies in the FLC (First Level Certification) Exam Study Guide on AICI's website. We do not know what is in the FLC exam and, in fact, if you need to know what to study you can access this information at that site.

Both our online and campus CEU courses prepare you to be a knowledgeable, professional, certified image consultant and our courses (including all study manuals) cover every aspect of image consulting and more; how to do an image consultation, how to market your business, how to thrive in this industry, the ABC's of Image Consulting, Fashion History (please check out the video at the bottom of the page listing to see all modules of image training involved.) We are confident that when you certify with us you will be prepared for your FLC - but you still need to do some work:

Once you have certification with us you are ready to start your business, get clients and testimonials. That's step one. You will need to do this to start the FLC certification process. We can prepare you for the FLC exam by providing core competency information but again, neither we, nor any other image training company out there, knows what is on the exam. The CEU (Continuing Education Unit) you achieve by taking our courses can be applied to your FLC application (step two) and does count toward your certification with AICI (we are an AICI certified educational provider.)

Hope this information helps you - I know it is not an easy process. That is why AICI is the gold standard in the industry for certification. I have personally been through the first two levels of AICI certification and everything I have learned I now teach to my students in the hope that they too can become image professionals!

question Are classes available online for groups?

answer Yes, classes are scheduled in advance and you can choose to teleconference with a group, participating with comments, questions and feedback. Contact us to make e-conferencing arrangements.

question Do you have language support?

answer Not at this time. All courses are written and conducted in English. However, many of our foreign students have made good use of Google Translate.

question Can I take your courses in person?

answer Yes, you are welcome to take courses at our San Francisco studio. Accommodations are your responsibility. We can provide you with hotel information. Our San Francisco location is on Union Square. Please call (415)230-0015 for more information or visit Our Campus Website

question Can I contact an instructor if I need help?

answer Yes, you can contact us via Skype, telephone, email or mail. Please note that our normal business hours are Monday to Friday from 9am PST to 5pm PST. If you need help outside of office hours you can leave us a message or text to (415)230-0015 and we will respond in a timely manner.

question If I sign up for an on-line course how long do I have to complete it?

answer You have 180 days (6 months) from the day of purchase. However, we do encourage you to get certified in your chosen field promptly and to start earning a return on your educational investment.

question How do I test once I am finished with the course?

answer All final exams are included in the course. A passing score of 85% is needed for professional certification.

PRODUCTS:

question Are there any refunds for course purchases? What if I don't like the material?

answer No. Because the materials are downloadable they cannot be returned. However, we can guaranteee that you will enjoy the courses and will benefit from the learning experience. Students from around the world have successfully completed both our online studies and certification courses. Our goal is to certify professional consultants the world over so it is in our interest to see that you pass this course and start your business. We have many global students who are putting into practice what they have learned via our e-courses. See "Testimonials" for student feedback.

GENERAL:

question If I need to review my courses with you via the internet what are my options?
answer Customer care specialists are available at (415)230-0015. Instructors are available via email. Due to the amount of emails we receive daily we might not get back to you immediately but we will respond to your requests within 24 hours. You can contact us via Skype at user name: gillianarmour online and if you have a web-cam we can review any part of the course with you. Please note that our normal business hours are Monday to Friday from 9am PST to 5pm PST. If you need help outside of office hours you can leave us a message or text to (415)230-0015 and we will respond in a timely manner.

I am an educator/ institution/ trainer and would like to offer your course in our school/ institution/ academy. Do you collaborate with other educators?
answer

We offer blended learning instruction (our instructors offer group training with computer assistance for online courses on your campus) for qualified institutions only. We do not sell our courses directly to institutions. The nature of our certifications and the awarding of Continuing Education Units is possible only through Fashion Image Institute. If you are an educator interested in adding our courses to your curriculum please contact our support team at (415) 230-0015 or email us at

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Note: the system or equiptment you use to access this course must support Java Script
A Windows PC or Mac with at least 512 RAM
High speed internet connection preferred
Updated browsers (students on older browsers will experience issues with viewing)
Valid and current email address
Webcam and microphone
Adobe Flash Player and Java Script enabled
Adobe Reader (free download at adobe.com)

Windows: Best - Internet Explorer 8 and later, Optional: Firefox 1.x and later, Safari 3 and later.
Macintosh: must have Safari 3 and later,Firefox 1.x and later installed.
Linux: Firefox 1.x and later

Please note: if you have limited experience with interactive online protocols you must contact us before taking this course. We cannot be responsible for students, who lacking basic computer knowledge, fail to complete the online course. Therefore we recommend you know your operating system and how to disable a firewall.

ORDER/ PURCHASE INFORMATION

2011-2012 All Rights Reserved Gillian Armour Design LLC.
Agreement of Terms for Use of Internet Text:
By clicking "buy" or "send order" you (customer) acknowledge that all written materials purchased from this site are copyright protected and cannot be duplicated. All courses are copyright protected; all proprietary content is copyright protected; all text and course manuals are copyright protected. We reserve the right to cancel and void any order if purchaser is engaged in a competitive business to Fashion Image Institute.

Your order is complete when final payment is processed

Within 24 hours you will receive an link via email to download the course you purchased

Once you have completed the online interactive course you will be ready for the final 45 question exam

When you have passed the exam you will receive an official certificate of completion and professional study from the Fashion Image Institute

Thank you for your purchase. We hope you enjoy your e-learning experience with us and we welcome feedback. Our mission statement: to provide the world with eLearning courses in image and fashion at affordable prices. To your success, Gillian

If I buy the online course is it the whole program or it's just a part of it? The whole program, included are all manuals, forms and information.
Are there any other charges? We do charge shipping for sending your final certification and CD containing customizable forms. We only charge the shipping that the post office charges us.
Is there a charge for the final exam? Not at all.
What is the score you need to have to pass the exam? 85% and you have two times to complete it.
Do I have to go somewhere special to do the exam or it's also an online exam? No, you work from a computer and take the test online when you are ready.
What happens if I fail the final exam? You have two chances to take it. We encourage students to use the manual provided in the course to study so the chances of passing the exam are greater.
Do I have a limit of time to do the course? You have up to 180 days (6 months)to complete and for the certification requirements you must be on the e-course at least ten hours.

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FAQ

2012 Courses